Category: Feel Good Stories

Open Channel D sends us a link to our first feel good stories this morning about a family in Louisiana which picked up where the police left off in a search for Bethany Arceneaux who had been kidnapped by her child’s father, Scott Thomas.

Later that evening, law enforcement officials found Thomas’ car near an abandoned sugarcane field in a rural area of Lafayette Parish, La., Judice said.

One of Arceneaux’s shoes was found in the car, while the other had been left in the parking lot of the daycare where she had been last seen.

Authorities searched the sugarcane field Wednesday night and all day Thursday, but to no avail, Judice said. The cane towers as high as eight feet tall and was “a brutal search area” for officials, he said.

It wasn’t until Friday morning, when Arceneaux’s family members conducted their own search in the same area that they came upon a secluded, abandoned house behind a cluster of trees.

The house was directly across the street from the field where Thomas abandoned his car, but only the home’s roof was visible from the road, Judice said.

“[The family] converged on a piece of property about a mile from where the car was found,” Judice said. “One of the family members heard what he thought was a scream.”

Arceneaux’s cousin approached the home, kicked in the door in and entered, Judice said. Inside, he found Thomas with the woman. Thomas then began stabbing Arceneaux, and a confrontation ensued.

“The cousin, who was armed, began firing several shots at Thomas,” Judice said. “After a couple of shots, [Arceneaux] was able to get free of him and they escorted her out of the house.”

The next story, from Chief Tango, comes from Oakland where a man found three fellows trying to break into his truck. When he confronted them, an altercation ensued that was broken up by a security guard. The three left and then returned making gestures like they were carrying guns;

The truck owner called police.

But before officers arrived the 30-year-old man and his accomplice returned and made more verbal threats and gestures simulating that they had guns, police said.

The truck owner, who had armed himself with a pistol he had at work at that point, told police the 30-year-old man started coming toward him and he tried to warn him off. But when the man kept coming he fired one shot at him, hitting him in the leg.

He told investigators he fired the shot because he believed his life was in danger.

The third story, involving Gonzaga University students doesn’t have a very happy ending;

Seniors Erik Fagan and Dainel McIntosh felt they needed to protect themselves in late October when a convicted felon came to their door asking for money. Fagan said he yelled for his roommate after trying to get the man to leave. McIntosh came down with his gun, which he has a concealed weapons permit for according to Fagan. The roommates said McIntosh scared the man off by flashing the gun.

The men called the Spokane Police Department and Campus Security. Police told them they did the right thing according to the roommates.

Unfortunately, Gonzaga has a “no guns” policy for it’s students, so they might be suspended. Which is probably still better than being mugged in their apartment by a felon.

The other day we talked about a shooting in Reading, Pennsylvania where two men were killed when they robbed a convenience store – a third man has been arrested as their accomplice and charged with second degree murder according to a local ABC station;

Meanwhile, police arrested 21-year-old Alexander Garcia-Bialek, the alleged driver of the get-away car. He’s now facing 2nd degree murder charges.

Berks County District Attorney John Adams says according to Pennsylvania state law, Garcia-Bialek is liable for the deaths of his friends because he is an accomplice to a felony that involve the death of another person.

Further, family members are calling for justice for the two dead criminals, you know the guys who were shot after they pulled their guns out first when they were confronted by a good guy. WFMZ link;

“It’s not fair,” said Virginia Medina, mother of 24-year-old William Medina, who police said robbed Krick’s Korner store alongside 18-year-old Robert De Carr on Monday.

The two men were shot and killed by a private citizen while leaving the store, and family members want to see charges pressed.

“[William] had no right to lose his life over something that man could have called the police for,” said Medina. “He took the law into his own hands and walked away scot-free.”

“How about if people just start running around here, policing the city on their own? How much worse is it going to get?” said Peter Ratel, Medina’s cousin.

The family members said they are hurt by comments suggesting the alleged robbers were “thugs.”

According to Medina, William was “no big hard criminal” and was rather a family-man who loved his young daughter.

Robert De Carr was described similarly by his sister, Taylor De Carr.

“My brother was a good kid,” she told 69 News.

Chief Tango sends us feel good story to enjoy with our morning muffin. This one comes from Illinois where a hard-working individual was turning his life around in a convenience store.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Monday when [Lawrence] Bradley walked through the front door of the electronics shop in the 2900 block of West Devon Avenue and aimed the gun at the clerk and demanded money, police said.

Then the clerk reached into the safe and pulled out a real gun and fired twice, stopping only because the gun jammed, police said.

Bradley grabbed the clerk’s gun and pistol-whipped him in the face and head, then ran out the store and jumped into a blue PT Cruiser driven by a woman, police said.

The clerk stumbled out of the store and a worker next door came to his aid, according to the police report. The 23-year-old clerk was taken to Saint Francis Hospital, where he was treated for small lacerations on the left side of his face and on the top of his head, according to fire officials.

Of course, that’s not the whole story. According to the Chicago Tribune, the gun that Lawrence used, was a toy. Funny how real guns work better than toy guns, isnt it?

JBS and Ohio send us links to today’s feel good story, this time from Reading, PA when two fellows were turning their lives around with he booty from a local convenience store and an armed concerned citizen put an end to their nefarious deeds;

The armed men took cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets before exiting the store. Outside they were confronted by the concerned citizen who told them not to move and that he was calling police.

Adams said a struggle ensued and the suspects took out their weapons. The citizen, however, was also armed and fired at the suspects.

The suspects were both shot in the chest and died at the scene.

Police took the armed citizen in for questioning, but after reviewing video of the incident and speaking with a number of witnesses, authorities released the man.

Adams said the shooter was very cooperative. The man had a license to carry, and since he was threatened at gunpoint, no charges are expected to be filed.

Friends and family described the two deceased men as hard workers, others said that they got what they deserved.

Chief Tango sends us one from Fort Wayne, Indiana where two other enterprising youngsters forced their way into an apartment where they were greeted with gunfire;

According to city police spokesperson Officer Michael Joyner, two men entered an apartment and and was shot by the resident. Sylvanus Tarpley Williams, 36, of Indianapolis, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other suspect was shot but ran from the area.

The resident was seriously wounded when he was shot. A woman and child were also home at the time of the invasion. They were not injured, according to Joyner.

The Allen County Coroner ruled the suspect’s death a homicide, the 40th in Allen County in 2013. The coroner’s office said the man died from a gunshot wound or wounds.

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Chief Tango sends us this morning’s feel good story. This one is coming to us from Nevada where a good Samaritan came to the rescue of a neighbor who had a fight with her boyfriend that evening;

Fearful that he might show up at her home, she called a man who lives in her apartment complex, Paul said. Her boyfriend, 49, eventually arrived and tried to kick in the front door before climbing in through a window.

The neighbor cautioned him to stop and told him that he had a weapon, Paul said. The alleged intruder reportedly continued to advance toward them, and the armed man fired several shots, striking and killing him.

ADDED: Open Channel D sends a story from California where a woman awoke to find a man trying to remove the watch from her arm;

The woman told police she’s a tomahawk-throwing champion, and she quickly grabbed a throwing ax and chased the man out of the apartment.

Police searched the area and found a man hiding behind some nearby bushes, along with property belonging to the woman.

So, I guess you should know the people who you plan on robbing, and axe-throwing champions shouldn’t be on your list.

Chief tango sends us links to two feel good stories today to start the week out. The first is from Toledo, Ohio where a store clerk, December Long, defended his inventory from Christopher Shockley in a brief, but deadly gun fight in the store;

The pair exchanged gunfire about 9:20 p.m. at the Stop & Go at West Sylvania and Rohr Drive in what police called a robbery gone bad. They were alone in the store at 3131 West Sylvania Avenue, near Monroe Street and Secor Road, police said.

Both were taken to Toledo Hospital, where Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said Shockley was later pronounced dead.

The second story comes from Independence, Missouri where a homeowner defended his family with a shotgun from two home invaders;

One victim retrieved his shotgun and shot one of his attackers in the abdomen. The wounded man was taken into custody at the scene by police and transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

The second man fled the house and has not been identified. He is described as being white, in his thirties, approximately 5’08”-5’10” with a skinny build and was last seen wearing a dark colored, hooded sweatshirt. Both victims sustained minor injuries that were treated at the scene.

Chief Tango sends us our feel good story for this morning, this time it’s from Florida where a mother with three daughters fired her gun at a peeping Tom who was taking in the scenery in her house from the proch after she was warned by a neighbor;

The alleged intruder was Bobby James Harris, 53, who Ocoee police said was convicted of child sex crimes in 1991, 1995 and 1996. Police said he was arrested in July 2013 in Apopka, Fla., on charges of criminal mischief, exposure of sexual organs and petit theft, and was being sought by police because he was not living at the address he submitted to law enforcement.

Florida law requires convicted sex offenders to notify police of their most recent addresses.

Seeing Harris flee from her back yard, Cornele drew her gun and fired a warning shot into the ground. Harris jumped over a 4-foot fence and escaped on a bicycle, the Orlando Sentinel said Friday.

And, oh, yeah, he was wearing a “Jason” mask, so you know, he was perfectly harmless;

Let’s kick off this weekend with a good guy with a gun story from Grand Rapids when some folks coming back from a rap concert were robbed outside a chicken joint.

Police said they responded to the restaurant after reports of gunfire. Officers said they found one man at the scene who had been shot. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he died.

Police then were told that a second man had been shot, and had been taken by a friend to a hospital, where he also died.

With multiple victims and shooters at the scene, the details about exactly what happened outside the restaurant are taking a while to unravel.

Authorities interviewed a man at the scene who said he was being robbed at gunpoint when he pulled out a gun and shot the robbery suspect. That robbery suspect was killed. The man who shot the robbery suspect has not been charged with any crime.

That article sucks; this one is more clear on events;

Police say 20-year-old Delorian Alexander Taylor pulled out a gun and tried to rob another man who was a concealed pistol license holder, police said. The CPL holder shot and killed Taylor.

Someone then fired shots from the parking lot and hit 23-year-old Dominick Floyd. Floyd was taken to a hospital where he later died.

So, yeah it sucks real bad that some thug fired into the crowd from parking lot and actually killed someone, but the legal gun owner killed a bad guy. But, prayers go out to the family of Dominick Floyd.